 Chapter 1 of The Santa Claus Storybook. This is a LibriVox recording. While LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. The Santa Claus Storybook by Unknown. Where Santa Claus lives and what he does. At the top of the earth, which they call the North Pole, is where Santa Claus lives, a right jolly old soul. And the ice and the snow lie so thick on the ground, the sun cannot melt them the whole summer round. All wrapped up in fur from his head to his toes, no feeling of coldness, dear Santa Claus knows, but travels about with a heart full of joy, as happy as if he were only a boy. His cheeks are like roses, his eyes are as bright, as stars that shine out overhead in the night. And they twinkle as merrily to all the while, and broad as a sunbeam is Santa Claus's smile. He never is idle, except when asleep, and even in dreams that his labors will keep. And all through the day and the night it is true, he is working and planning, dear children, for you. On top of his tower was spyglass in hand, he goes every morning to look o'er the land. And though there are hills all around, I suppose, he sees oh much further than anyone knows. He peeps into houses whose doors are tight shut, he looks through the palace and likewise the hut. He gazes on cities and villages small, and nothing, no nothing, is hidden at all. He knows where the good children live beyond doubt, he knows what the bad boys and girls are about, and writes down their names on a page by themselves in books that he keeps on his library shelves. For good little children, the gentle and kind, the prettiest presents and toys are designed, and when Christmas comes round, as it does once a year, to certain that Santa Claus then will appear. His workshop is, oh, such a wonderful place with heaps of gay satins and ribbons and lace, with houses and furniture, dishes and pans, and bracelets and bangles, and all sorts of fans. There are horses that gallop and dollies that walk, and some of the pretty doll babies can talk. There are pop guns and marbles and tops for the boys, and big drums and trumpets that make a big noise. There are games for all seasons, the baseball and kite, and books which the children will seize with delight, and the skates and the sleds far too many to count, and the bicycles ready for wheelmen to mount. There are farm yards and plenty with fences and trees, and cows, sheep, and oxen all taking their ease, and turkeys and ducks and fine chickens and hens, and dear little piggies to put in their pens. There are gay Noah's arcs just as full as can be of animals really a wonder to see. There are lions and tigers and camels and bears and two of each kind for they travel in pairs. There are elephants stretching their noses quite long and reindeer and elks with their antlers so strong, and queer kangaroos all the others amid with their dear little babies in pockets well hid. Is Santa Claus happy? There's no need to ask for he finds such enjoyment indeed in his task that he bubbles with laughter and whistles and sings while making and planning the beautiful things. The dear little brownie so nimble and fleet will run on his errands with tireless feet and carry big bundles and boxes because they want to be friendly to good Santa Claus. He's a jolly good fellow but ever so shy and likes to do all his good deeds on the slide so there's no use of spoiling a nice winter's nap or you'll not catch a glimpse of the jolly old chap. When Christmas Eve comes into bed you must creep and late in the night when you all are asleep he is certain to come so your stockings prepare and hang them up close by the chimney with care. The babies we stocking you must not forget for Santa will have something nice for the pet and those who are thoughtful for others will find the good saint at Christmas time has them in mind. There is Tommy who tended the baby with care a nice train of cars he shall have for his share and how happy Eliza will be when she looks for a presence and finds such a budget of books. For dear little Mary a doll there will be and for Alice and Jenny a gay Christmas tree and we little Georgie the baby will find a big stick of candy just suiting his mind. Oh a jolly good sight is this funny old chap when he's dressed in his bare skin and fur bordered cap all ready to start on his way through the cold in a sleigh covered over with jewels and gold while his deer from the mountains all harnessed with care like resources pranced through the clear frosty air. It is fun just to watch them and hear the bells ring and the stars seem to think in a comical thing. World Santa is bundled so close to the chin that there is not a chance for the cold to get in. His cheeks are so rosy his eyes how they flash no horses or drive air air cut such a dash. He cracks his long whip and he whistles a tune while he winks at the stars and he bows to the moon and over the treetops he drives like the wind and leaves all the night birds a long way behind. His steeds speed away on their journey so fleet that they seem to have wings to their swift flying feet for there's work to be done by the cheeriole man and his coasters will help him as well as they can. His sleigh is with toys and with trinkets well packed you never beheld one with treasures so stacked and though of good children he has such a list not one is forgotten not one will be missed an army he gives to the boy who is neat and never is rude in the house or the street and a farm to the lad who goes smiling to school who knows all his lessons and minds every rule and if you would please him dear birdie and jack and win a nice prize from the old fellow's peck be good little children your parents obey and strive to be happy at work or at play at christmas old santa claus toils like a turk where the cheery old fellow is fond of his work with his queer looking team through the air he will go and a light on the housetops all covered with snow then down through the chimneys he'll dart without noise and fill up the stockings with candy and toys there'll be presents for julia and nelly and jack and plenty more left in the old fellow's peck and if frank behaves well and minds what is said quits teasing the cat and goes early to bed you'll find for his present a sled or a gun a ready companion in frolic and fun on santa claus hurries and works with a will for many tall christmas trees he has to fill and loads them with treasures from out his rich store till they blossom as trees never blossomed before the round is a dumpling and ever so fat in running and climbing he's spry as a cat and if the long ladder should happen to break and he should fall down what a crash it would make i told you his home was up north by the pole in a palace of ice lives this worthy old soul and though out of doors it may furiously storm indoors as we know it is sunny and warm when christmas is over old santa claus goes to his home in the north and his well-earned repose and when he is rested and feeling tip-top the good-natured workman goes back to his shop and there will he labor from morning till night to make others happy his aim and delight and if his good will the dear children would earn they must strive to be happy and good in return he comes like an angel of light from above to do on the earth's sweetest errands of love and our hearts and our homes to so fill with good cheer that we cannot help knowing when christmas is near then let us be glad so that christmas may be a real merry christmas to you and to me and now that the story is ended we'll give three cheers for old santa claus long may he live end of chapter one chapter two of the santa claus story book this is a labor box recording all labor box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit laborbox.org the santa claus story book by unknown cinderella or the little glass slipper they once lived near a great city a very worthy gentleman and his charming young wife they had married for love and lived very happily together much more happily than some of their neighbors who were far more wealthy and when a baby girl was born who was the light of their eyes and the joy of their hearts they felt as if their home was a little heaven upon earth and however cold and dark the world might be out of doors there was always plenty of warmth and sunshine within but this state of things did not last long for the young mother fell ill of a fever and died when her child was too young to feel the loss of its kind parent the poor husband was at first almost distracted with grief and but for the presence of his dear little daughter would have been very lonely indeed her pretty ways and soft caresses had a soothing effect upon him and he felt that he had still something left to live for as time went on he became quite cheerful once more and began to go into society and to think of marrying again his daughter needed a mother's care and his house was so large that it seemed very lonely with so few people in it unhappily the choice the gentleman made this time was not a good one for the lady he married was proud hotty and deceitful and had a most violent temper she was determined to have her own way and her good natured husband let her do about as she pleased it was easier for him to put up with an evil than to find fault and perhaps bring on a quarrel unfortunately the new wife was a widow and she brought with her into the house two great rude girls who had been wisely kept out of sight until their mother was married and settled in her new home they were at least 10 years older than the gentleman's daughter whose beauty and grace made them appear even more homely and awkward than they really were this made them jealous of the poor child and they did all that they could to make her life miserable and unhappy they teased and tormented her from morning till night and when she bore patiently with them she was anxious to win their love they made fun of her and were more disagreeable than ever the poor child made no complaint to her father for she knew that it would only add to his unhappiness and discomfort and if he interfered it would make matters worse it was not long before he fell violently ill medicines could not save him and he died so suddenly that the shock almost killed his poor little daughter who knew not how she could live without him after her dear father's death the haughty sisters were uglier than ever to the poor little girl they never invited her to share in their games or their sports or to join them in their walks or drives their mother encouraged them in this sort of treatment for she seemed to owe the poor child a grudge for being so much better looking than her own daughters it did not occur to her or to them that more than half their ill looks was owing to their ugly tempers it is no disgrace to be homely and pretty manners will hide all defects of face or form and enable us to win hosts of friends but the sisters as they grew up gave all their thoughts to dress and much of their time to dress makers and milleners they and their mother were always dressed in the latest style and held their heads very high and would not condescend to speak to poor people the young girl who should have been treated as a daughter and sister was made to do all the dirty work of the house in this way they saved the wages of a servant that they might have more money to spend on clothes and finery she made the fires carried the water made the beds swept and dusted the rooms cooked the meals and was as busy as a bee from morning till night her one comfort was to sit in the chimney corner when her tasks were done and lose herself in a dream of bright fancies as she gazed on the glowing logs they were warm and friendly though everyone else was cold and unkind as the kitchen was her parlor she was careful to keep it tidy and neat and was so often brushing up the hearth and sitting by the cinders that the sisters gave her the name of cinder winch or cinderella which is much prettier cinderella was never invited to sit in the parlor and had no clothes given her but such as were fit to work and she waited upon her sisters kindly helped them to dress and admired all their new clothes and longed just as any young girl would to see how fine a bird she would be in such fine feathers but the selfish creatures never even let her try on a bonnet or cloak for fear that cinderella might put on airs and refuse to be a kitchen drudge any longer sometimes when she was doing her best to please them they would speak harshly to her and be so spiteful and ugly that cinderella would go back to her dishwashing with tears in her eyes and her heart as heavy as a big lump of lead now some folks would have grown cross and hateful under such treatment as the poor girl received but as gold when put in the fire comes out more bright and beautiful so did cinderella shine with a light that made her face at times like that of an angel she was pure gold through and through one day the two sisters received an invitation to a grand ball to be given in honor of a prince who being the eldest son of the king was expected someday to succeed his father on the throne it was an honor to be invited to the palace and the note was eagerly read and promptly answered by the proud sisters go of course they would but what should they wear this ball was the event of the day nothing else was talked about dressmakers had more than they could do and the sisters were fortunate in having such a handy person about a cinderella they could not deny that she had good taste in dress and hard at work where she kept for at least three weeks preceding the ball meals were eaten in haste dishes were washed in a rattling hurry cinderella had to cut fit and so and listen to all the talk about the ball who was to be there and what so and so was to wear without daring to make a remark or ask a single question when the day of the ball came oh then what a hurry and flurry there was nobody had any time to think of anything else the streets of the city were hung with flags and bands of music played from morning till night cinderella was up early for she had a world of work to do and there were some finishing touches to be put on the dresses the sisters were to wear cinderella felt a pride in having them look nice and saw that not a hairpin or a hook was out of place she arranged their hair in the latest style and while at this work one of the sisters said to her with a mocking smile don't you wish you were going to the ball cinderella indeed indeed i do exclaimed the poor child already in a fever of excitement a fine figure you would cut said the other and homelayers sister better stay among the pots and pans that's the place for you cinderella bit her lip but said nothing though she had hard work to choke back the sobs that would keep rising to her throat the sisters drove to the ball in a fine carriage with coachman and footmen in livery and when they were gone the house was so quiet that had anyone been listening they might have heard the rats playing in the cellar but cinderella was too busy with her own thoughts to think of rats now she could give vent to her tears and she sat on her favorite seat by the hearth thinking what a lonely life she led trying to imagine what a ball was like and wishing wishing wishing hard that she was there in the midst of the light the flowers and the music as this wish rose from her heart cinderella looked up and saw a strange-looking old woman who seemed to have come into the room without opening either door or window her feet rested on a cloud and a bright light surrounded her in her hand she held a long wand cinderella scarcely knew whether she was asleep or awake the old woman drew near her and said in a kindly voice what is the matter dear child do you want to go to the ball oh indeed i do answered cinderella tears filling her eyes well be a good girl and do as i tell you and i'll send you off in fine style i am your fairy godmother bring me the largest pumpkin you can find cinderella was surprised but the fairy godmother seems so much in earnest that the poor girl dared not disobey but ran at once to do as she was told as she carried the pumpkin through the garden she could not help smiling at the thought of the funny figure she would cut sitting on top of it and speeding through the air the fairy however touched the pumpkin with her wand and lo and behold in its place appeared a magnificent coach lined with satin and plush and fit for her royal highness to ride in that is good as far as it goes said the fairy but it won't go far without horses look in the mousetrap my child and see if there is anything in it cinderella ran quickly to do her bidding and was delighted to find a plump mice caught in the trap there they were poking their little noses through the bars and trying to get out and how they did squeal cinderella took care of that not one of them should escape as she bore the trap in triumph to her godmother the fairy told her to raise the wire door that the mice might come out one by one as they did so a touch of the wand transformed them into handsome horses with arching necks shining mains and long tails and splendid harness all plated with gold it was enough to make one's eyes water just to look at them well my child said the fairy this is a fine turnout truly but there are the finishing touches to be put on go and see if there are any rats in the rat trap cinderella ran with all haste and soon returned bearing the trap which had in it two rats of the very best quality one was bigger than the other and as he sprang out of the trap he was changed into a coachman and took his place on the box as orderly as you please the other rat was transformed into a footman and both were in splendid livery ornamented with gold but this was not all bring me six lizards said the fairy godmother you will find them behind the watering pot in the garden the lizards were brought and it once transformed into pages whose duty it was to run alongside or ahead of the coach and announce its arrival these immediately sprang to their places and stood as if waiting for their orders there cinderella exclaimed her godmother gazing with pride upon the equipage could anything be finer than that jump in and be off cinderella looked at her shabby clothes contrasting them with the splendor of the coach and shook her head sadly the godmother understood it once and said oh I see you think that dress is hardly fit to wear to a ball well we can easily remedy that my dressmaker is wonderfully skillful and I will fit you out in short order saying this she touched cinderella with her wand and immediately the old clothes fell off the young girl and she stood arrayed in a beautiful dress that shone like cloth of gold jewels sparkled here and there on her hands at her throat and on her waist and to crown all the fairy brought a pair of lovely glass slippers that shone like diamonds for cinderella to put on how dressed up one feels in a pretty pair of shoes the godmother paused a while to admire cinderella in her new attire and then she said I have but one charge to give you my child leave the ballroom at 12 o'clock sharp if you remain a moment beyond that time your coach will become a pumpkin your coachman footman and horses rats and mice and your pages lizards your beautiful dress too will vanish away and leave you in the shabby clothes of a kitchen drudge cinderella promised to be punctual for 12 o'clock seemed to her a late hour but then she had never been to a ball there was a great stir at the palace when the splendid carriage drove up and great was the interest displayed when cinderella alighted the lord high chamberlain himself escorted her to the ballroom and introduced her to the prince who immediately claimed her hand for the next dance cinderella was in a whirl of delight the envy and admiration of all the ladies and gentlemen the hours flew all too fast at supper cinderella was seated next her sisters and even conversed with them the kind condescension of so distinguished a stranger was very flattering to them and they were on their best behavior when the hands of the clock pointed to a quarter of 12 cinderella mindful of her godmother's injunction arose and hastened to her carriage the prince hurried after her expressed his regret that she must leave so soon and begged her to visit the palace the next evening when the festivities were to be continued he then returned to the ballroom but found the place very dull indeed now that the princess was not among the guests cinderella reached home in good time and was commended by her godmother who promised to look after her interests in the future soon a loud rap on the door announced the arrival of the sisters and cinderella made haste to let them in rubbing her eyes and yawning as if just awakened out of a sound sleep as soon as they entered the house they began to tell of the beautiful princess of the excitement she had created and the preference she had shown for their society when they said the princess was expected to be at the palace the next evening cinderella begged that they would lend her one of their cast off dresses that she might go and see the wonderful beauty the sisters laughed her to scorn and the next day were uglier to her than ever finding fault when they had no occasion and striking her whenever they had a good chance i'll teach you to have better manners and to know your place the idea of you daring to ask for one of my dresses or to think of going to a ball take that and that said the younger sister who had the most violent temper and cinderella bore their hard treatment with a meekness that was really remarkable the next evening the sisters went again to the ball and cinderella made her appearance there shortly afterwards dressed even more splendidly than on the first night the prince had been watching for her and never left her side the whole evening the attentions he paid her would have turned the head of almost any young lady but cinderella received them all with a repose of manner that made the prince more charmed with her than ever but so happy was cinderella that she forgot to look at the clock or to listen for its warning chime and was greatly surprised when the first stroke of 12 rang upon her ear she sprang up in haste and ran from the ballroom as fast as she could never even waiting to curtsy to the guests or to say good night to the devoted prince it was well she did so for at the last stroke of 12 the splendid carriage horses and all resumed their original forms her elegant clothes fell from her and she found herself clad once more in her old denji working dress the prince started in pursuit but lost track of her in the midnight darkness in her flight however she dropped one of her glass slippers which the prince found and held to his heart as if it was a priceless treasure cinderella reached home panting and breathless in very different style from that in which she had left the first ball the prince in the meantime had made inquiries of the sentinels on guard both inside and outside the palace but none of them could tell him which way the princess went in fact the only person they had seen leaving in haste was a young girl poorly dressed who looked as if she might be a cinder sweep cinderella had not long to wait for the return of her sisters for the ball had closed early as the prince was so dull and vexed she again met them rubbing her eyes and yawning wearily but managed to ask them if they had enjoyed themselves and if the beautiful princess had again made her appearance at the palace yes they said and more beautiful than ever but at 12 o'clock she suddenly started up and left the ballroom whereupon the prince seemed to lose all interest in everything and the guests soon departed the prince remained in a listless state for some time night and day he thought of the charming princess with whom he was madly in love and sought in many ways to find some trace of her he sent agents far and wide to search for her but nothing came of it at last a bright idea struck him he got up a proclamation which said the king's son will marry the lady who was able to wear the glass slipper which was dropped at the late ball then he sent out a herald with a trumpet to proclaim this wonderful news and great was the excitement it caused such a squeezing of feet as there was and such suffering from corns the herald had orders to stop at every house and every lady tried to put on the slipper but all in vain at last he came to the home of cinderella's sisters who endeavored to put on the lovely glass slipper but it was too short for one and too narrow for the other and they were obliged to give it up cinderella who had been watching them eagerly stepped forward and asked if she might be permitted to try on the slipper the sisters exclaimed what impudence but the herald said his orders were to pass no lady by and cinderella put down her scrubbing brush and seated herself to try on the slipper there was no trouble getting it on it fitted her to a tee the sisters were speechless with amazement but imagine if you can their look of surprise when cinderella drew from her pocket the other glass slipper which she had carried about with her ever since that fateful night now the sisters could see in cinderella's face some resemblance to the princess who had taken so much notice of them at the ball and whose attentions they were so proud to receive how had been brought about as if an answer to their thought the fairy godmother entered the room and the blushing maiden was transformed into the beautiful princess the herald set off at once to bear the joyful tidings to his master that the princess was found you may well believe that the sisters were sorry enough that they had treated cinderella so harshly and they suppose that now the tables returned she would despise them and be glad of a chance to pay them back for their ill usage mortified and ashamed they went down on their knees and asked her forgiveness and cinderella bidding them rise beg them to think no more of the past or to fear her hatred she assured them that she should never forget that they were her sisters and would do all she could to add to their future happiness and prosperity a royal escort was sent to conduct cinderella to the palace and great was the joy of the prince at beholding her again she consented to become his wife and the wedding was conducted with regal pomp and splendor and there was no end to the congratulations and as for the wedding cake well there was no skimping there i can tell you the sisters were assigned the place of honor at the banquet and owing to cinderella's generosity were able to make a very fine appearance for among her wedding gifts was a large dowry from her godmother and as cinderella's happiness consisted in making others happy she did not hoard her wealth but spent it among the poor after settling a large sum on each of her sisters cinderella made hosts of friends and she and the prince lived happily together for many years and among all the treasures of the royal palace there was nothing quite so precious as cinderella's glass end of chapter two chapter three of the santa claus storybook this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by jim gallagher the frog and the mouse there was a frog lived in a bog a frog of high degree a stylish youth and yet forsooth a bachelor was he he had not wet because he said he'd nare in all his life seen in the bog a polywog he cared to make his wife but one fine day when dressed up gay he passed a pretty house and there beside the window spied a most attractive mouse he raised his hat and gazing at miss mouse in suit of gray he made a bow likewise a vow to marry her straight away when he was dressed in scarlet vest and coat of velveteen with frills of lace and sword in place his like was nowhere seen his smile was bland his style so grand he said with pride i know miss mouse so fair can find nowhere so suitable a bow if she'll agree to live with me and be my faithful wife oh she shall dine on dishes fine and lead an easy life when he went by miss mouse so shy would hide her blushing face but truth to tell could see quite well through curtains of thin lace and from her nook ah many a look she gave with heart a stirrer and often she confessed that he was just the bow for her at last so blue poor froggy grew he went up to the house and rang the bell in haste to tell his love for mr. smouse he passed the door and on the floor he knelt and kissed her hand will to marry me he asked while she her burning blushes fanned she answered yes as you may guess to mr. frog's delight his arm he placed around her waist and joy was at its height the wedding day was set straight away the town was oligog and gifts not few were sent unto miss mouse and mr. frog and never yet was banquet set in country or in town with fair more rich than that to which the wedding guests sat down and after all there was the ball for which the band was hired and frogs and mice were up in a trice and danced till their toes were tired end of chapter three recording by jim gallagher chapter four of the santa claus storybook this is a labor box recording all labor box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit the labor box dot org the santa claus storybook by an unknown little red riding hood once upon a time there lived in a small cottage on the edge of a deep wood a forest during his wife and their dear little daughter the little child was as lovely as a pitcher and a great pet with everybody her mother liked to see her purtily dressed and made her a red cloak with a hood to it so that the neighbors gave her the name of little red riding hood she was a merry little maid and went about the house singing and laughing the whole day long she made friends with birds and with beasts and was not afraid of anything not even the dark one day red riding hood's mother said to her my child you may go to your grandmothers with this pat of butter and a bottle of blackberry wine for we have not heard from her in some days and she may be in need of something do not stay too long for i shall be anxious to hear how she is the old lady had not been well for some time and some days was so lame that she could not get out of bed and had to depend on the neighbors to come in and get her meals red riding hood was delighted to do her mother's errand for she was fond of her grandmother who always had funny stories to tell or something nice to give her when she went there on a visit so her mother put on her scarlet cloak gave her the well-filled basket kissed her goodbye and sent her off with many loving messages for the poor sick grandmother her way led through the lonesome woods but little red riding hood was not the least bit afraid for she was used to playing in them and running races through them never minding whether she kept in the path or not so she went on as happy as a lark looking back now and then as long as her home was in sight to see if her mother was still at the door and to throw her a kiss from the tips of her fingers her a long long time after red riding hood had gone so far that she could not see the house her mother stood in the doorway with a smile on her face every now and then catching a glimpse of the bright red cloak that shown through the trees and thinking how pretty her dear little daughter looked in it with her soft golden curls flying out beyond the cunning scarlet hood how glad she was that she had such a dear little girl and how lonesome the house was when she was not in it why it seemed as if all the sunshine had gone into the woods and was wrapped in under the pretty red cloak that the very geese knew enough to admire the birds kept little red riding hood company and saying her their sweetest songs the squirrels ran up and down the tall trees and made her laugh at their funny antics now and then a rabbit would come across her path and sometimes red riding hood would put down her basket and give chase to the bunnies hoping she might catch one of the pretty white pets but they always managed to get out of her way for they could jump faster than she could run butterflies darted here and there some like yellow some with soft gray wings and red riding hood ran after these until she was tired sometimes one would poise on a green leaf close at hand and just as red riding hood was about to seize the pretty thing away it would go deeper in the woods and seem to urge her to follow by and by she grew hungry and sat down on the flat stone to eat the nice lunch her mother had put up for her and oh how good it did taste the birds came round her for their share and it was fun to see them crowd on each other and squabble over the crumbs how they did chatter and scold and what greedy things they were you could almost hear them say let that alone that's mine I was here first oh you pig and when the crumbs were all gone they all cried more more more or at least it sounded as if they did it was so lovely in the woods that red riding hood was in no hurry to leave them wildflowers were plentiful and she said aloud oh I must stop and pick some for grandmother she is so fond of them so she went out of the path to gather the fox gloves the wild honey suckles and the darkwood violets that were growing all around and with these and some sweet ferns and long grasses she made a very pretty nose gay but dear me when she turned to go back to the path she could not find it and for a moment she was scared for she thought she was lost in the woods the birds knew of her plight and as she had been good to them they would be good to her so two of them flew down and calling to red riding hood in their pretty coaxing way let her out of the tangle of brushwood into the smooth path and to the very place where she had left her basket while she sat resting for a few moments a wolf came up and spoke to her which did not seem at all strange to little red riding hood as wolves and fairies were quite common in those days good day said the wolf where are you going all alone by yourself my pretty miss I'm going to my grandmother's said little red riding hood to take her some fresh butter and nice blackberry wine for she is quite sick she ought to be proud of such a lovely granddaughter said the wolf I don't know when I have met anyone quite so handsome flattered by these compliments red riding hood let the wolf walk by her side although the birds kept warning her that he was a wicked rogue and she'd better get rid of him she had an idea that poor company was better than none which was a mistaken notion for it is much better to be alone then in bad company as little red riding hood found out before a great while had passed where does grandma live ask the wolf in as sweet a voice as he could command just outside the woods you can see her cottage through the trees ah yes said the wolf I think I'll call on the dear old lady she will certainly be glad to see me when she learns how skillful I am in curing diseases just for the fun of the thing suppose you take the path to the left while I follow this one to the right and we will have a little race to see which shall get to the cottage first now the crafty wolf knew that he was sure to win this race for he had chosen the shortest way and besides that he intended as soon as he was out of the little girl's sight to go at a speed which she could not attempt to keep up with but red riding hood suspected nothing she was so young that she did not know that the wolves might appear to be as mild as sheep they were still wolves at heart ready to bite and rend whatever came in their way she was kind and gentle herself and thought everybody was the same she had yet to learn that often those who pretend to be our best friends turn out to be our worst enemies they are fair to our face and false behind our back they deceive us by their sweet ways and do their best to put us off our guard the wolf took a shortcut out of the woods and soon came to the cottage of red riding hood's grandmother a bird on a spray outside fairly screeched to give warning to the old lady within but if she heard it she did not know what it meant the wolf wrapped gently at the door and the old lady who was in bed roused herself and said is that you darling pull the string and latch will fly open the wolf pulled the string and stood still a moment ere he opened the door he thought he heard footsteps near for hunters now and then went through the woods in search of game but it was only the bird on the spray who made a frantic effort to scare off the wicked intruder but the wolf knew there was no time to waste so he slipped through the door of the cottage which soon flew back on its hinges i am ever so glad you've come darling said the grandmother imagining that her visitor was little red riding hood i'm rather more poorly than usual dear and it pains me to turn my head i'm so sorry said the wolf mimicking the voice of the little granddaughter mother sent you something nice in a basket well put it on the chair dear and take off your cloak and then come and give me a kiss that i'll do it once said the wolf as he sprang on the bed and glared in the face of the grandmother who tried to beat him off with her crutch but she had not strength to battle with such a foe and the hungry wolf with glaring red eyes ate up red riding hoods poor dear grandmother like the cruel monster that he was oh the blood thirsty horrible wretch it makes one shudder to think of the terrible deed but this was not all the taste of blood had made him thirst for more so he put on the old lady's nightcap and gown and snuggled himself down under the bedclothes to wait for a red riding hood to appear what a slow poke she was it seemed as if she never would come and the longer the wolf waited the crosser he got several times he had cocked up his head thinking he heard her at the door and still she did not come he was just beginning to think she never would find her way out of the woods when he heard a low rap at the door the little girl wrapped softly for she thought that grandma might be asleep and she didn't wish to disturb her in that case until she awoke the wolf waited a while then called out as the old lady had done is that you darling pull the string and the latch will fly up his voice was rather harsh but not unlike the grandmother's when she had a bad cold so red riding hood pulled the string and went into the house set her basket on a table and went up to the bedside she was scared at the change that had come over her poor sick grandmother what could ale her to make her look like this she must have some terrible disease the child stared and stared and her breath came quick and short why granny she said as soon as she could speak what big eyes you've got the better to see you with my child said the wolf imitating the grandmother's voice as much as possible and oh granny exclaimed the child what a great nose you've got the better to smell you with my child but granny what great big ears you've got the better to hear you with my child red riding hood began to grow more scared than she had ever been in all her life and her voice trembled when she said oh granny what great big teeth you've got the better to eat you up said the wolf in his own natural voice and he was just about putting his long sharp yellow fangs in the child's soft white flesh when the door was flung open and a number of men armed with axes rushed in and made him let go his hold and little red riding hood fainted in her father's arms he was on his way home from work with some other foresters and was just in time to save his dear little daughter from being eaten up by the wicked wolf that had devoured her grandmother with one or two strokes of the axe the wolf's head was cut off so that he could do no more harm in the world and his body was tied to a pole and carried home in triumph by the foresters friends from far and near came to see little red riding hood and to congratulate her and her parents she had to tell over and over again just where she met the wolf how he looked and what he said until it seemed as if she never got out of the woods at all not even in her dreams when children were told the story it was always with this word of warning when you are sent on and errand go right along and do it as quickly as you can do not stop to play on the road or to make friends with strangers who may turn out to be wolves in sheep's clothing and they promised to remember and shuttered whenever they thought what might have been the fate of dear little red riding hood end of chapter four chapter five of the Santa Claus storybook this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording the phone the Santa Claus storybook by unknown the three little kittens three little kittens lost their mittens and they began to cry oh mammy dear we sadly fear our mittens we have lost what lost your mittens you naughty kittens then you shall have no pie mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew the three little kittens without their mittens began to feel quite blue oh mammy dear oh mammy dear please tell us what to do go find your mittens you silly kittens and be quick about it too mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew the three little kittens then sought their mittens upon the table high in doors and out they scampered about for they were very spry now high now low the three in a row and oh how they made things fly mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew the three little kittens found their mittens and they began to cry oh mammy dear see here see here our mittens we have found what found your mittens you darling kittens then you shall have some pie per per per per per per per per the three little kittens put on their mittens and soon ate up the pie oh mammy dear we sadly fear our mittens we have soiled what soiled your mittens you naughty kittens then they began to sigh mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew the three little kittens washed their mittens and hung them up to dry oh mammy dear look here look here our mittens we have washed what washed your mittens you good little kittens but i smell a rat close by hush hush mew mew mew mew mew mew mew these kittens so gay were invited one day to feast by a running stream where they had as much meat as they wanted to eat and plenty of nice ice cream and each went to sleep curled up in a heap and had a most lovely dream per per per per per per per per one night in the fall they went to a bowl and danced to a lively tune with a leap and a bound and a merry go round and the sound of a big bassoon and with holes in their mittens those careless kittens came home by the light of the moon mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew these kittens all three were invited to tea at madame engora's house who wore her best silk and served them with milk and catnip on which to corouse and polite as you please they were taking their ease when they chanced to catch sight of a mouse mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew the kittens gave chase ran all over the place and up to the roof at the bound their noses stuck in every basket and thin till they were as black as the ground and the mousey so small had the best of it all for it hid where it couldn't be found mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew these kittens was said were soon to be wed the cards had been out some days and cat birds no doubt spread the news about as they flew or the great highways and cats one and all the great and the small were loud in the kitten's praise mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew mew. at last came the day and in splendid array the guests soon began to arrive the aunts and the cousins by sixes and dozens all buzzing like bees in a hive and among them sir rouser a famous old mauser and the handsomest malty's alive purr purr purr purr purr purr purr. Then after the marriage each groom called his carriage, and oh, they rode off in fine style, the brides beaming brightly and bowing politely to friends every once in a while, who kept up a squaling and great-cutter walling that might have been heard for a mile. Mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew. The guests kept on dancing, now leaping and prancing, the band still continued to play, and puss in the corner, and little Jack Horner, were games very much in their way. With singing and screeching, and laughter far-reaching, they had a good time, I dare say. Mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew. Till suddenly, hark, there came a fierce bark that made the cats tremble with fright, put an end to their fun, and made them all run, fear lending great speed to their flight, and bow-owls and spit-spits from the puppies and kids were heard all the rest of the night. Bow-owl, mew-mew, bow-owl, mew-mew, bow-owl. The three pretty brides, and their husbands besides, took rooms in a very nice flat. Not a rat nor a mouse was air-seen in the house, nor anyone heard to cry scat. So they lived and looked pleased, they were petted, not teased. Now what do you think of that? Purr-purr-purr, purr-purr-purr-purr. The three little kittens, who lost their mittens, those mittens had quite outgrown. ere the year was out, and I very much doubt that a mother her kittens had known. And each of the three, tis true as can be, had dear little kits of her own. mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew. The motherly kittens began to knit mittens, to put on the dear little paws, and the kittens were taught to do as they ought, and trained how to use their sharp claws, and how to catch mice and rats in a trice, and to keep out of traps with great jaws. mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew. And as they grew old I've no doubt they told this story, as now have I, of the three little kittens who lost their mittens, and couldn't have any pie, till the mittens were found, and I'll be bound they set up a mournful cry. mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew, mew-mew. End of Chapter 5 Recording by Phone Chapter 6 of The Santa Claus Storybook This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Campbell Shelp. The Santa Claus Storybook by Unknown. Chapter 6 The Three Little Pigs Once upon a time there was an old pig with three little pigs, and as she had not enough to keep them, she sent them out to seek their fortunes. The first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him, Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house, which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it. Presently a wolf came along and knocked at the door and said, Little Pig, Little Pig, let me come in. To which the pig answered, No, no, buy the hair on my chinny chin chin. This made the wolf angry, and he said, Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in. So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the house in, and ate up the Little Pig. The second Little Pig met a man chopping wood, and said, Please, man, give me some of that wood to build me a house, which the man did, and the pig built his house with it. Then along came the wolf, and said, Little Pig, Little Pig, let me come in. No, no, buy the hair on my chinny chin chin. Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in. So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and then ate up the Little Pig. The third Little Pig met a man with a load of bricks, and said, Please, man, give me those bricks to build a house with. So the man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them. Then the wolf came as he had done to the other Little Pigs, and said, Little Pig, Little Pig, let me come in. No, no, buy the hair on my chinny chin chin. Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in. While he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and he huffed, and he puffed, but he could not get the house down. When he found that he could not, with all this huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said, Little Pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips. Where? said the Little Pig. Oh, in Mr. Smith's home field, and if you will be ready tomorrow morning I will call for you, and we will go together and get some for dinner. Very well, said the Pig, I will be ready. What time do you mean to go? Oh, at six o'clock. Well, the Little Pig got up at five, and got the turnips before the wolf came, which he did about six, and said, Little Pig, are you ready? The Little Pig said, ready, I have been, and come back again, and got a nice potful for dinner. The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to the Little Pig somehow or other, so he said, Little Pig, I know where there is a nice pear tree. Where? said the Pig. Down at Mary Garden, replied the wolf, and if you will not deceive me, I will come for you at five o'clock tomorrow, and we will go together and get some pears. Well, the Little Pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock, and went off for the pears, hoping to get back before the wolf came, but he had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was getting down from it, he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much. When the wolf came up, he said, What are you here before me? Are they nice pears? Yes, very, said the Little Pig, I will throw you down one, and he threw it so far that while the wolf was going to pick it up, the Little Pig jumped down and ran home. The next day, the wolf came again and said to the Little Pig, Little Pig, there is a fair at Shinklin this afternoon, will you go? Oh yes, said the Pig, I will be glad to go, what time will you be ready? At three, said the wolf, so the Little Pig went off before the time as usual, and got to the fair, and bought a butter churn which he was going home with when he saw the wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do, so he got into the churn to hide, and by so doing turned it over and rolled down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so much that he ran home without going to the fair. He went to the Little Pig's house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him. Then the Little Pig said, Ha, I frightened you then, I had been to the fair and bought a butter churn, and when I saw you I got into it and rolled down the hill. Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the Little Pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him. When the Little Pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and just as the wolf was coming down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf, so the Little Pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled up the wolf, and ate him for supper, and lived happy ever afterwards. CHAPTER VII OF THE SANTA CLAWS STORYBOOK This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Greg Giordano. THE SANTA CLAWS STORYBOOK By Unknown LITTLE BO PEEP Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep, and can't tell where to find them. Let them alone, and they'll come home, and bring their tails behind them. Little Bo Peep fell fast asleep, and dreamt she heard them bleeding. But when she awoke, she found it a joke, for still they all were fleeting. Then up she took her little crook, determined for her to find them. She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, for they left their tails behind them. It happened one day, as Bo Peep did stray into a meadow hard by. There she has spied their tails side by side, all hung on a tree to dry. She heaved a sigh, and wiped her eye, and over the hillocks did race, oh, and tried what she could, as a shepherdess should, to stitch each tail in its place, oh. END OF CHAPTER VII Recording by Greg Giordano, Newport Ritchie, FL Chapter VIII of the Santa Claus Storybook. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Santa Claus Storybook by Unknown Beauty and the Beast In a large city of the East, there once lived a very rich merchant. He had a splendid home, and large warehouses full of costly goods, and a hundred guests bowed themselves before him, and sat down at his table every day. As his wealth increased, so did the number of his friends. And at last it was difficult to tell which was the greater. The wealth of the merchant with the amount of praise and flattery bestowed upon him. The merchant's family consisted of three sons and three daughters. The sons were tall, while grown young men, and the daughters were all handsome, dark-eyed ladies. But as frequently happens, the chief gifts of loveliness and grace had been bestowed upon the youngest of them all. And so bright and happy was her face, and so winning were all her ways, that as a child she had been called the Little Beauty. And the names still remained when she had become a tall, grown-up girl. Happy indeed was it for the merchant that he loved his sons and daughters better than his wealth, for he little thought, as he sat at the head of his plentiful table with his smiling guests around him, that a terrible misfortune had happened, and that he was in fact no better than a ruined man. One of his largest ships, with a very costly cargo, was miserably wrecked on the high seas, and only two of the sailors were saved after clinging for days to the fragment of a mast. Another equally valuable vessel was taken by pirates, and a third fell into the hands of the enemy's fleet. By land he was equally unfortunate, his largest warehouse was burnt, and the Bedouins attacked and plundered a caravan conveying his goods across the desert. So within a few months he sank from the height of wealth and honor to the depths of poverty and want. Very different from the splendid mansion they had inhabited in the days of their prosperity, was the quiet country house to which the merchant and his family were moved when the misfortunes he had met with by sea and land left him a ruined and broken man. All the accessories of wealth had disappeared. There were no extensive pleasure grounds, no fountains, groves of trees, or ornamental waters. The once wealthy merchant whose capital had furnished the means of employing hundreds of servants was now reduced to labor with his sons in the cultivation of their little farm. For on its produce they mainly depended for their means of subsistence. Hard as their lot appeared, the three sons manfully met the reverses of fortune which had befallen them, and both by word and deed they did all in their power to reconcile all the members of the family to their sudden change of position. But with a daughter as it was far different, and here was seen the benefit and advantage derived from habits of industry. The two elder sisters were always fretting about their losses, and their discontent rendered every privation doubly hard for themselves and embittered the lot of the merchant and his sons. They could not enjoy the plain fare the others ate with so much relish. They rose late and spent the day in bewailing their hard lot, and it is a remarkable thing how much people find to bemoan when once they set themselves to complain. The two sisters would sit down, one with her head in the other's lap crying and sobbing, while beauty, the younger sister, would be fully employed spinning, and always had a smile for her father when he came home, wearied from his work. You may depend upon it, there is nothing like industry. Labor is the proper lot of man, and whether it be work in the fields or work in the counting house or in the study, it will always bring pleasure to the workmen, if it be but well and zealously done. The merchant and his sons worked hard morning, noon, and night, and they were so hungry every day when they came home to dinner that they ate their frugal meal with keen appetites. And so tired were they when they came from labor at night that they slept soundly and peacefully till morning. Whereas during the time of the merchant's prosperity he had often been kept awake at night by anxious thoughts for the safety of his ships, his warehouses, and his stores of gold and silver. This thought often entered the merchant's mind, and a feeling of gratitude for the comforts he still possessed brought him as near contentment as possible. Humble as their present residence certainly was, the person unacquainted with their history would never have imagined that the contentant looking toilers on the small farm were persons who had held a high position in society. But the merchant was a man who had pursued a strictly honest and honorable course in all of his dealings. No stain had been cast upon his character by his loss of fortune, and having nothing upon his mind connected with the past to awaken regret or remorse. He regarded his present position as one still capable of affording happiness. But a change came upon their quiet life. One day a messenger came to the merchant's gate with a most important letter. It contained great news. A ship, long given up as wrecked and lost, had safely anchored in a distant port, and the merchant was desired to go and take possession without losing a day. You may fancy what a stir this made in the little household. The merchant's sons looked hopeful, and the two sisters were radiant with smiles. They quite gave up their cheerful practice of crying in each other's arms and were full of plans and projects for the future. Beauty was glad too. But she smiled because she loved to see her father look happy. The merchant was happy and pleased at the prospect of regaining a portion of his wealth for his children's sake. And he had a hundred projects for giving his daughter's pleasure by the pretty presents he should bring them on his return. Before he started, he asked each of them in turn what present he should bring her home with him when he had received the money for his cargo. I'm sorry to say that the two sisters had quite counted on being asked this question, and were ready with a long list of the things they wanted. Chiefly fine dresses and jewels, and the request somewhat astonished the merchant, who promised however that they should have what they wanted. Beauty had not been thinking about herself all this while, and did not know what to reply, as she had no wish for anything in particular. So in order not to disappoint her father's kind intention, she begged him to bring her a full blown rose, as there were none in their garden. The elder sisters laughed in secret over what they called her stupid choice, but they did not dare to show their spite openly for fear of their brothers. So the merchant rode off on a camel he had borrowed from a friend, and the daughter stood at the door waving their handkerchiefs and crying goodbye. But it was beauty who got the last kiss. The merchant's journey was not so prosperous as he had hoped. The cargo indeed had been saved, and the ship was safe in port, but a lawsuit had been commenced, and there was so much to pay that the merchant set out for home no more richer than he had left it. And it was on his return that he met with the following tremendous adventure. He was riding through a wood, night had fallen, and he had lost his way, though he fancied he could not be very far from home. His weary camel still carried him gallantly on, and he looked anxiously round for any building where he could find shelter until the next morning, for the rain was beating down upon him, the wolves howled in the dreary darkness around him, and the very trees seemed to take horrible spectral forms and made threatening gestures at him. All at once he saw a light gleaming through the trees. It proved to be a lamp hung at the entrance gate to what seemed to be a park surrounding a palace. Welcome weary traveler was written up in Easter characters over the gate. The merchant rode through the gate, and following the stately avenue which it opened upon, he found his way to a large stable with every convenience for fifty animals, but quite empty. The merchant put up his camel and fed him, and then went to find someone in the palace which he saw near at hand. The doors were wide open, and he entered the vestibule which was very large, and had a basin with a fountain in the middle. Here he sat and washed his feet. Then he went through many large apartments, all splendidly furnished. There was no one in them, not even a servant to take care of the house. But there was a very handsome supper laid out in one of the rooms, and the merchant sat down, and after waiting for some time for the host to appear, made a hearty meal, all alone by himself, and drank his own health afterward. In the upper floor were several bedrooms with large beds and handsome wardrobes. In one of these beds the merchant went fast asleep, and never woke till half past six the next morning. He felt quite refreshed after his night's rest, and walked down into the grounds about the palace in hopes of meeting the owner. Everything here was in first-rate order. The flower beds were full of beautiful plants, and the walks clean and hard, and the grass plait soft and smooth as a velvet carpet. In one bed stood a splendid rose tree in full bloom. This set the merchant thinking of his daughter Beauty's wish for a rose, and he selected a very fine one and plucked it. But the moment after he had done so he heard a tremendous roar, and a heavy hand was laid on his shoulder. He turned and saw a monster with the body of a man, an obese head and claws. The creature stood in a threatening attitude over him, and cried, ungrateful man, how dare you repay my kindness by stealing the one thing I prize, my beautiful roses, now you shall die. The merchant in utter terror begged hard for forgiveness, calling the beast my lord, and clearing that he meant no harm, but had only plucked the rose for his youngest daughter, whom he loved, and who had wished for one. I will spare your life on one condition, replied the beast. You must go home and bring your daughter here in your stead. She refuses to come. You must promise faithfully to be back yourself within three months, and don't call me my lord, for I hate flattery, and I'm not a lord but a beast, which was true enough. So promise or die, and choose quickly. The merchant with a heavy heart consented to the beast's conditions, and turned sorrowfully away. Go to the room you slept in, cried the beast after him. You may fill a chest you will find there with anything you like, and carry it away with you. The merchant accordingly filled the chest with gold pieces, and sorrowfully departed. When he reached his own house, his daughters came crowding around to help him, and were struck by the settled melancholy in his face. In silence he gave the elder sisters the presence he had brought for them, and then sat down disconsolately on the ground. The two sisters sat examining their presence, but Beauty went to her father, and threw her arms around his neck to comfort him. Oh, my dear Beauty, here is your rose, said the merchant. But you little know the price your poor father has promised to pay for it. And he told her everything just as it had occurred. The elder sisters came up to listen, and of course began to throw all the blame on poor Beauty. If the affected little thing had only asked for presence like ours, they declared, there would have been no such trouble as this, and our father would not be in danger of his life. He is not in danger now, answered Beauty quietly, for I will go to the beast, and bear the punishment of death in his stead. The brothers offered to go, and begged hard, but the merchant knew that the beast would not be put off, and that he would be satisfied with no one but Beauty or one of her sisters. He had also secret hopes that her life would be spared, for the beast's generosity had made him think that, after all, the monster would not like to sacrifice the life of a young and innocent creature. I regret to say that the sisters secretly exalted at Beauty's apparently sad fate, but the brothers were really and truly grieved, and kissed their sister heartily before she set out with her father on their sorrowful journey. The domain around the beast's palace was exceedingly beautiful. Birds with splendid plumage flew about, and sang merry songs as they built their nests in the thick trees. In spite of the sorrowful nature of their errand, the two travelers could not help feel a little comforted by the beauty of the scene around them. And the nearer they came to the beast's palace, the fresher became the verger, and the thicker the throng of chirping birds, so that it seemed as if nature were showing its joy over some happy event. In due time they reached the palace, which they found deserted, as on the merchant's first visit, but in the spacious reception hall the magnificent supper was laid, with covers for two persons. They sat down to the table, but Beauty could hardly eat a bit for terror, while her father was overwhelmed with grief, inside deeply it each mouthfully took. When supper was over, a heavy tread was heard, sounding along the corridor, and the door of the room was roughly opened, and the beast came stalking in, and oh, he was far, far uglier than Beauty had imagined he could possibly be. She turned pale at the sight of him, as he turned toward her and asked if she had come to him of her own free will. She faltered out, Yes, Beast, and the monster observed in a softened tone, Beauty, I am much obliged to you. This mild behavior on the part of the proprietor somewhat raised the hopes of the merchant, but they were instantly dapped by the beast turning toward him, and roughly commanding him to quit the palace, and never to return again under pain of death. Having given this order in a tone which showed that he intended to be obeyed, the beast retired, with a bow and a good night to Beauty, and a glance at her father, which seemed to say, Make haste off! The merchant departed, after kissing his daughter a hundred times and weeping bitterly, while she, poor girl, tried to raise his spirits by feigning a courage she did not feel. When he was gone, she took her candlestick and wandered along the corridor in search of her room. She soon came to a door on which was inscribed in large letters, Beauty's apartment. This proved to be a large room, elegantly furnished with bookcases, sofas and pictures, and a guitar and other musical instruments hung against the wall. Beauty retired to rest and exhausted with her journey and her grief. She quickly fell asleep. Next morning she examined her apartment more closely. On the first leaf of an album was written her own name, Beauty, and immediately beneath it stood in letters of gold the following verse. Beauty, lady, draw your tears. Here's no cause for sighs or fears. Command as freely as you may. Compliance still attends your way. I thought, the girl, if I might have a wish granted it would be to see how my poor father is. She turned as she said it, in a mirror opposite to her great surprise, she saw a picture of her home as in a magic lantern view. The merchant was lying on a couch, distract it with grief, and Beauty's two sisters were at the window, one of them sitting on a stool looking listlessly out, and the other standing by assisting her. At the sad sight, poor Beauty wept bitterly. But after a time she regained her fortitude and proceeded into the spacious dining room, where she found a repast prepared for her as on the preceding day. The beast too came in and asked permission to stay and see her eat. Beauty replied, yes, and all the while she was making her repast the beast set by, looking at her with eyes of great admiration. He soon began to talk and astonished the young lady by the extent of his information on various subjects. At last he asked her suddenly if she really thought him so very, very ugly. Beauty was obliged to reply, yes, shockingly ugly, but added that he could not help his looks. This reflection did not seem to console the poor beast much, for he sighed deeply. After sitting for a little time in silence he arose to go, and in turning he seemed to collect all his courage for one grand effort and ask Beauty to that lady's great external sprint if she would marry him. She at once replied, no beast, in a very decided way. Whereupon her suitor gave a great sigh and retired, looking very dull full. For some little time Beauty's life was a very quiet one. She roamed about the palace and through the gardens just as she pleased, and invisible attendants brought her what she wanted. Every evening the beast would come to supper and try to entertain her as best as he might, and he was so informed and talked so sensibly that Beauty began to like him very much. Still his hideous form shocked her each time she looked at him, and whenever her host, after exerting himself to be agreeable all the evening, repeated his question, Beauty will you marry me? She always replied, no beast. But soon Beauty began to be homesick, the more so that her glass, which she never failed to consult each day, showed her that the merchant, her father, was piney for her very much. His sons had gone to fight their country's battles, and his two eldest daughters had got married, and were employed with their husbands in domestic quarrels. So you see it was rather dull for the merchant. Therefore Beauty begged the beast to let her go home and see her father. He was rather alarmed at the proposal, deeming it not impossible that she might forget to come back again. So he exacted a promise from her that she would only stay away a week, and then return. Tomorrow morning said the beast, you will find yourself at your father's house, but pray, pray, do not forget me in my loneliness, and do not fail to return as you have promised. He then bade her a sorrowful farewell, and Beauty retired to rest. When she awoke in the morning she found herself in her old bed at her father's. By the bedside lay a large chest of beautiful apparel, and sets of jewels. You may fancy how glad her father was to see her, but the envious sisters who were there on a visit were not at all pleased at her return. One of the ladies had a scratch on her face, and the other three large bruises on her arm, both arising out of the differences they had had with their husbands. They at first declared that the box with the presents had been intended by the beast for them, were upon the box at once disappeared, and a gentle hint that they were mistaken. On the failure of this selfish scheme, they resolved as they expressed it to serve out that conceited beauty by making her overstay her time, and they hoped the beast might be very angry and receive her accordingly. The days passed happily away, and the sisters' behave was such hypocritical kindness that Beauty was prevailed upon to stay, first one week, and then two weeks longer than she had intended. But what was the beast doing all this time? He was very lonely in his palace, waiting vainly for the return of his beloved Beauty, and every evening at sunset he would lie down on the grass in his garden, thinking of her till his very head ached with longing to see her again. One evening, however, as she sat with her father at their supper, a likeness of the beast stood before her like a figure in a dream. He was very pale, and looked dreadfully thin and dejected. His countenance, which was turned toward Beauty, wore a look of reproach. This cut her to the heart, and she at once told her father that she would return to the beast's palace the next day. She resisted his earnest efforts to persuade her to remain longer, as well as the insincere entreaties of her sisters, and the next morning set out for the palace. Her father, of course, went along to see her safely to the palace, and her sisters, under pretense of not wishing to part with her to the last moment, accompanied her too. Their real motive being curiosity to see the beast's palace, now that there seemed to be no reason to fear violence from him. They reached the palace, but no beast appeared to welcome them. Beauty went in search of him, and at length, on reaching a distant apartment, found him stretched out on a couch, attended by an old physician, and apparently dying. His eyes were closed, and he did not seem even to breathe. Beauty had not known till now how fond she was of the poor beast, but when the prospect of losing him came before her, she felt dreadfully grieved. She tried every means to bring the beast back to life, but for a long time her efforts were fruitless. She knelt beside him and called him by every endearing name she could think of. At length he opened his eyes, and when he saw her, a gleam of joy shot over his countenance, and he said in a feeble voice, Have you come at last, beauty? I have been waiting very long for you, in despair of ever seeing you again, but now I have looked on you once more. I can die in quiet. Beauty was fairly overcome by such gentleness and kindness. No, no, she cried, dear beast. You shall not die. You have been very kind to me, much kinder than I deserve, and you were so good that I do not care for your looks. And indeed, indeed, I, I, I will be your wife. At that instant a great crash was heard, and sweet sounds of music filled the air in every direction. For a moment or two, beauty stood bewildered with amazement at the sudden burst of joyous melody, with which the very walls of the palace seemed to vibrate. But a gentle and grateful pressure of her hand recalled her to herself, and she beheld with astonishment that the beast had been transformed into a graceful and handsome young prince, who was kneeling before her, engaging upon her with the look of mingled love and admiration. Now, for the first time, beauty began to understand the deeper meaning in the beast's words, when he had asked her if she would marry him. Now she could understand his wish to have her in his palace, his care for her comfort, his evident desire to make himself agreeable and pleasing to her, so that she might forget the ugliness of his person in her respect for him, and her gratitude for his kindness. And lastly, she could understand the beast's despair when she talked of leaving him, and his ardent desire for her return. All this flashed suddenly upon beauty, as she stood with the handsome young prince gazing upon her. She could hardly recover breath enough to falter out a question concerning the meaning of all this. The prince answered her with eyes beaming with gratitude and affection. It was enchantment, dear beauty, he cried. A wicked fairy had laid me under a spell and transformed me into the shape of a hideous beast, to retain it until a beautiful girl should consent of her own free will to marry me. You have done so. Your goodness of heart and your gratitude made me overlook my defects of form and feature, and in consenting to become the beast's wife you had restored an unfortunate prince to his own shape and to happiness. They were married in a few days. Of course the merchant was present at the ceremony, as joyful at the good fortune which had befallen his daughter as he had been sorrowful on the evening when he had left her alone in the power of the beast. The sisters too were present by invitation of beauty, for she was far too good and kind a girl to remember how shabbily they had treated her, and she gave them the best welcome she could, though they made themselves anything but agreeable, I can assure you. It is a wonderful thing that the more you do to please envious people, whether grown up or children, the less they will thank you for it. But it does not follow that we should return good for evil, not withstanding. The brave brothers came too and danced with the prettiest girls among the guests, and both looked and felt far happier than they ever did in the brightest days of their father's prosperity. For in their case adversity had proved only a lesson that true happiness does not consist in wealth alone. The good fortune of their favorite sister was to them a greater source of pleasure than if it had been their own case. But the envious sisters when they saw how splendid the palace was, and how the handsome bridegroom doted upon his bride, turned up their jealous noses in secret and wondered more than ever at what they were pleased to term that beauty's luck. To the very last they maintained that it was merely chance that had favored their young sister, and in all the trouble into which their violent tempers constantly led them, they would be known their hard fate, and try to make out that by right they as the elder sisters should have had the brilliant fate that had fallen to the lot of their sister beauty. We know better to what beauty owed her good fortune, my little readers, do we not? We know that she earned her success by her own good behavior, and that the sisters brought their misfortunes on themselves solely by their extreme selfishness and vanity. And we are happy to be able to tell that our good beauty and our husband lived long afterwards, and that their days were passed in bliss as nearly perfect as can fall to the lot of mortals. The sterling virtue and good sense which beauty had shown under adverse fortune were not affected by prosperity, and the kindness of heart and excellence of judgment which had marked her conduct during her period of trial continued to be traits of her character to the end. Although her new station was a very exalted one, she never allowed herself to become puffed up with greatness, nor let selfish enjoyments engross her attention, but always found her chief pleasure in the performance of her duties, administering to the happiness of others. Chapter 9 The Three Bears Once upon a time in a thick forest there lived three bears. One was a great big father bear, with a big head and large paws and a great voice. The next was a mother bear, of middle size, with a middle-sized head and a middle-sized body, and a voice quite low for a bear. The third bear was a funny little baby bear, with a strange little head, a queer little body, wee bits of paws, and an odd little voice, between a whine and a squeak. Now these three bears had a nice home of their own, and in it was everything that they needed. There was a great big chair for the big bear to sit in, a large porridge pot from which he could eat his meals, and a great bed on which he laid himself to sleep at night. The middle-sized bear had a middle-sized porridge pot, and a bed and a chair to match. The wee little bear had a cunning little chair, a neat little bed, and a porridge pot that held just enough to fill his little stomach. There lived near the home of these bears a little child named Goldilocks. She was a pretty child, with bright yellow hair that shone and glittered in the sun, like gold, and that is how she came to be called Goldilocks. She was round and plump, very merry, and light-hearted, and was always running and jumping about. When she laughed, and she was nearly always laughing, her voice rang out with a clear, silvery sound that was really pleasant to hear. One day she ran off into the woods to gather flowers. For she was fond of flowers, as all children ought to be. When she got a good way into the wood, she began to make pretty wreaths and garlands of the wild roses and honey suckles and other flowers, and very pretty they looked, I can assure you, with their delicate pink bloom and the bright dew-drops hanging like diamonds upon them. At last the child came to a place. There was a great wild rose-bush, with hundreds of blossoms hanging down, and smelling oh so sweet in the morning air. And Goldilocks began plucking these roses as fast as she could, and did not stop plucking them till she had quite a lap full of flowers, until her hands were scratched with the thorns. But she did not mind the smart of the thorns, and ran gaily on, singing as she went. All at once she came to a queer sort of house, and she fell to wondering who lived in it. She peeped in first at one window, and then at another, but could see nobody. Then she thought she would knock at the door. But as the knocker was beyond her reach, she had to break a twig from a bush to raise it. She knocked once, twice, thrice. There was no reply. So Goldilocks, after a while, pushed open the door softly, and timidly, and popped right into the bear's house. But the bears were not at home. After they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the woods, while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths by beginning to eat it too soon. Goldilocks was very much surprised when she came into the bear's room to see a great porridge pot, a middle-sized porridge pot, and a wee little porridge pot standing in a row. Well, thought she, some of the people who live here must eat a good deal more than the others. I'm just as hungry as I can be, and I guess I'll eat some of the porridge in this great big pot. She took a taste, but the porridge was so hot that she screamed, and made a spring that upset the pot, and it rolled onto the floor. Then she took some of the porridge from the middle-sized pot, and you may be sure she took care to blow upon the spoon before she put it into her mouth. But she need not have been afraid. The porridge was quite cold and sticky, for so the middle-sized bear, who had rather odd notions of her own, loved to take it. So Goldilocks pushed it from her with disgust, wondering how any one could eat such cold, clammy stuff. There now remained only the little porridge pot, and Goldilocks, as hungry as ever, tried that. It was just right. The porridge was neither too hot nor too cold, and the dainty little bear had added plenty of sugar, and a little nutmeg instead of the pepper, with which the big bear used to scorch his rough throat, or the salt with which the middle-sized bear spoiled her breakfast every day. So Goldilocks took one spoonful, then a second, and then a third, and so she went on until she found all the porridge gone, and stood with the empty vessel in her hand, wondering what clever person could prepare himself such a nice meal. All this time the bears were walking along, arm in arm through the wood, little thinking what a busy guest had come to their home. They marched gaily on, not fearing wind or weather, until at last they thought at time to turn back and think of breakfast. In the meantime Goldilocks had been looking around for a nice seat on which to sit down and finish eating the little bear's porridge. She first came to the great big chair, but that was much too hard. She next tried the middle-sized chair, which didn't suit any better. It was much too soft. Oh, dear me! What an uncomfortable chair! she cried, jumping out of it as quickly as possible. Then she cast her eyes round the room, and caught sight of a cunning little chair that looked as if it had been made expressly for someone about her own size. So she sat down in that, and liked it so well, she would have sat much longer than she did if the chair hadn't gone to pieces under her. She was more scared than hurt when she picked herself up, and tried her best to put the chair together again. But it was of no use. Presently Goldilocks began to feel tired and sleepy, and looked around to see if there was any room in which she might lie down and rest. Sure enough, she found one, and in it were three beds side by side. One was a great big bed, the next a middle-sized bed, and the third a wee little bed, and they made her think of the three porridge pots standing in a row. First she lay down on the great big bed. There was plenty of room in it, but, oh, it was as hard as a rock, and the pillow was much too high. So she soon crawled out of that, and went and lay down on the middle-sized bed. But, dear me, that was as much too soft as the other was too hard. And Goldilocks was buried so deep in it that she had hard work getting out again. If anyone likes that kind of a bed, she said, let them sleep in it, the horrid, stuffy thing. And all the time she was growing so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open. There was only the wee little bed left, and Goldilocks tried that. It just suited her in every way. It was the right height, the right width, not too soft and not too hard. And she lay for a while wondering who owned such a nice comfortable nest, and if they would be angry at finding her in it. If she had had any idea that she was in a bear's house, how terrified she would have been. But it never entered her head, and so she dropped off to sleep as sweetly as if in her own bed at home, little thinking of the trouble that was brewing for her. After the bears had walked about in the woods for some time, little Bubby Cub began to grow tired and cried to go home. Mrs. Bruin couldn't bear to hear him cry, so she urged Papa Bruin to take the cub in his arms and go a little faster. So the three bears came to their home, all out of breath, and as hungry as any bears you ever heard of. The great big bear entered the room ahead of the others, and when he saw his porridge pot lying on the floor, he roared out in his great, rough, gruff voice. Somebody has been at my porridge!" And he swung his great big cane around, as if it were a club, and brought it down on the floor with a heavy thump, and with o' such fierce look in his eyes. Then Mrs. Bruin went up to her own, a middle-sized porridge pot, and knew in a moment that someone had been meddling with it, so she threw up her paws and cried out in a voice, not quite so loud as the great bears. Somebody has been at my porridge!" And she looked puzzled and vexed, where she was particular about her food, and didn't want any one to touch it. Then the little bear went to his porridge pot, and in a great flurry, and on finding it empty cried out in a squeaking voice. Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all up!" Then he stuffed his four paws into his eyes, and cried as hard as he could, for he thought it was a mean trick to serve him, just because he happened to be such a tiny little bear. His papa and mama were just as angry, and vowed that they would punish severely the one who had played the trick, if they could ever catch him. Presently the big bear went to sit down in his great big arm-chair, and found it was not as he had left it. Goldilocks had neglected to put the cushion back in its place, and there it was all awry. So the great big bear growled out, Somebody has been sitting in my chair! The middle-sized bear then went to her chair and found a great hollow in it, where Goldilocks had sat. So she scowled and growled, though not so loudly as the big bear. Somebody has been sitting in my chair! This put the little bear in a fidget, for he knew what to expect. If this strange visitor, he thought, has done so much harm to the other chairs, it had probably broken mine off to pieces, for he seemed to treat me worse than the rest, because I am so little. So up jumped the little bear, and saw at a glance what had been done to the dear little chair of which he was so fond. Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sat the bottom out of it! He squeaked with a dull full wail, and then sat plump down on the floor to have his cry out. Papa Bruin was in a great rage, and wondered who had dared to come into his house without leave. He was determined to find out, and strode off into the bedroom, followed by Mrs. Bruin, in the unhappy, tiny cub. Goldilocks had tumbled the big bear's bolster and trying to make it low enough for her head. He noticed it at once and wore it out. Somebody has been lying in my bed! Then they went to the middle-sized bed, and that was full of humps and hollows, and looked so untidy that the mother-bear scowled and growled, though not so loudly as the big bear. Somebody has been lying in my bed! Then they passed on to the third bed. The coverlet was in its place, the pillow was there, and on the pillow lay the fair head of little Goldilocks, and she was sound asleep. Somebody has been lying in my bed! And here she is! shrieked little bear in his shrillest tones. The big bear, the middle-sized bear, and the little bear stood with their mouths wide open, staring with surprise at the pretty child they found there. The big bear had a tender heart, and felt quite ashamed of himself for having threatened to punch the one who had dared to enter his house. Mrs. Bruin said, poor child, I'd like to give her a hug and a kiss. She looked so sweet and good, and she regretted having made such a fuss over the porridge that had been touched and the chair that had been sat in. The little bear, however, was in great distress at the way in which he had been treated, and relieved his feelings by giving a most doleful wine. Little Goldilocks had heard in her sleep the great rough voice of the big bear, but she was so fast asleep that it was no more to her than the roaring of wind, or the rumbling of thunder, and she had heard the middle voice of the middle-sized bear. But it was only as if she had heard someone speaking in a dream. But when she heard the little squeaking wine of the little bear, it was so sharp and so shrill that it awakened her at once. Up she started, and when she saw the big bear, the middle-sized bear, and the little bear peering at her in a strange way, she was scared nearly out of her wits. She understood at last who owned the three porridge-pots, the three chairs, and the three beds. Now the window was open because the bears, like good, tidy bears as they were, always opened their bed-chamber window when they got up in the morning. And with a one, two, three, out goes she. Away went Goldilocks, out through it, leaving a piece of her dress in the paw of the great big bear, who tried his best to catch her. She felt plump on the ground, and had to sit still a few moments to find out where she was. But it seemed as if the woods were full of bears. As though she kept on running as hard as ever, she could until she was well out of the forest and in sight of her own home. Oh! what joy it was to be safe inside her own home! And Goldilocks made up her mind, never again, to enter any one's house without being invited, and never to make herself quite so much at home as she did at the bear's house. The three bears stared for some time out of the window, from whence Goldilocks took her flight. Though at first they were quite angry with the little girl, and ready to eat her up, they soon got over those bad feelings, remembering that it was wise to bear and forebear. And if you'll believe me, that little bear, who had made the biggest fuss, was just as proud as he could be to think that such a pretty girl had eaten his porch, sat in his chair, and slept in his bed. Why, he actually hugged himself with delight! But as this feeling might not last long, I should advise you not to pry into other people's affairs. And if you go in the woods, keep away from the house of the three bears.